Title: Operation Octopus
Author: James Dark
Cover artist: McGinnis or some imitator
Yours for: $9
Best things about this cover:
- Before there was "Octopussy," there was ... "Operation Octopus"! Starring ... Mark Hood, the world's tiniest spy.
- "Why is that star logo shooting the book number and the price at me!? I'll just duck down between the author's first and last names for protection..."
- That's a lot of bare back. Looks a little ... gaunt.
- Also, that's a lot of hair. Looks a little ... blue.
- "Submarine city?" Guess I'll have to turn the book over to see what the hell's going on...
Best things about this back cover:
- Boring:
- Adjectives:
- Large:
- Red:
- "Half-man, half-fish" - they called him: "Mafish!"
- "Intertrust" is a front! Worst fake business name Ever.
- "a body built for treason" - "Hey baby, you know who you remind me of? Benedict Arnold. That traitor was one shapely bastard."
- "A string of hard-core-convicts, all skilled divers" - first, this copywriter is overfond of hyphens. Second, "all skilled divers?" What are the odds? "Damn, why did we ever put S.C.U.B.A. lessons on the prison continuing education schedule!?"
- I can't tell if this is scifi or not. And I have absolutely no desire to investigate further.
Page 123~
"You haven't seen him," he went on tersely. "You didn't know him; you don't know what he is now. The damage is irrevocable. He'd be a moron forever. He'd want it this way. Wouldn't you? He'll be saving mankind. The dreadful pity of it," Hood said bitterly, "is that the poor guy will never know."
OK, two things
1. "Moron forever" - that's a memoir title that'll sell right off the shelves
2. No way, no how, does a whisky-swilling tough guy (which Mark Hood is supposed to be) begin a sentence with "The dreadful pity of it ..." Unless he is in some kind of time warp movie where he keeps switching back and forth from modern spy to 19th-century British Inspector.
~RP
